Decode Dense Discharge Instructions Into a Checklist
Discharge instructions bury the one line that matters — 'call if this happens' — inside a paragraph of routine. This reads the sheet, separates the call-now triggers from the just-do steps, and prints the questions to ask before you leave. Local only; the instructions never leave the tab.
- Decode
- Urgent vs routine lines separated by wording
- local
- What it replaces
- Re-reading the sheet, squinting for the urgent part
- $0.00
- Input
- The instruction text, pasted
- no card
- Output
- A triaged sheet plus a follow-up checklist
- recomputed
What you pay otherwise
| Route | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse line call-back | The question you could have asked at discharge | wait + worry |
| Re-admission | The missed warning sign, if it escalates | serious |
| Keeping it all in your head | Urgent and routine blurred together | forgetting |
| This page | The sheet, triaged into a checklist | $0 |
The workflow
Paste the instructions exactly as given
Copy the whole sheet, including the 'call your doctor if' section. The tool reads the wording — 'immediately', 'if you have', 'fever above' — so the copy matters.
Read the call-now list first
The triaged sheet puts the urgent triggers at the top, in red. Those are the lines to put on the fridge, not the ones to skim. If one of them happens, you act — you don't re-read.
Work the follow-up checklist in order
The routine steps — meds, appointments, wound care — become a checklist you can tick. Order matters, so the sheet keeps the original sequence instead of alphabetising it.
Ask the printed questions before you leave
The questions at the bottom are the ones people realise they have on the drive home. Ask them now, at the desk, where there's still someone who can answer.
Worked example
Sample: a short post-procedure sheet Urgent lines 3 (fever above 38.5, heavy bleeding, chest pain) Routine steps 5 (rest, fluids, meds, follow-up in 7 days) Questions 4 (activity limits, shower, driving, pain control) Uploaded nothing — decoded in the tab
Numbers above are sample data produced by the tool's own pre-loaded example, run in the browser — not averages or measured benchmarks.
What breaks this
Pasting only the parts you think matter is exactly how the urgent line gets missed — paste the whole sheet. Treating this as medical advice is the danger: the triage is a reading aid, and the call-now list always defers to what a clinician told you. Ignoring a trigger because it's 'probably fine' is the one mistake the red lines exist to prevent — when in doubt, call.
Try it now
A short post-procedure sheet is loaded and triaged. Paste your own instructions and watch the urgent lines separate out.
Open the decoder →Go deeper: the printable care sheet
The decoder is free forever. The $4 one-time tier adds:
- Printable care sheet — the triaged checklist on one sheet for the fridge — estimate: ~12 min saved versus re-writing by hand.
- Saved instructions shelf — keep sheets for this episode together — estimate: ~10 min saved per follow-up.
- Med/symptom log — tick steps and note symptoms as you go — estimate: ~8 min saved per check-in.